FLINT, MI -- A woman is free on bond after she was
arrested and charged with operating multiple unlicensed adult foster care homes
in Genesee County.

Genesee County Sheriff Robert Pickell said 21 people needing full-time care were removed from facilities in Burton and Flint, Montrose and Thetford townships and placed in other homes as part of the investigation.

Mary T. Tahtinen, 59, was arraigned Friday, Jan. 10, by
Genesee District Judge Larry Stecco on multiple counts of operating an unlicensed
adult foster care facility and failing to conduct background checks on
employees working at the facilities following an investigation by the Genesee
County Sheriff's Elder Abuse Taskforce and the state Department of Human
Services.

Tahtinen's attorney, Plymouth-based Vincent M. Farougi, could not be reached for comment on the allegations.

Pickell said his office was
first contacted Aug. 28 by a DHS agent regarding a possibly unlicensed facility
on Center Road near Bristol Road in Burton.

Pickell said investigators discovered seven residents in
the home, including a 54-year-old female who was found on the floor of an
upstairs bedroom. The woman told authorities that she was on the floor for more
than 24 hours and couldn't get any assistance.

A care worker at the facility, which housed residents
ranging in age from 36 to 85, said she was hired at the facility only two days prior to the
investigation and that she had no experience in that field of work, according to
Pickell. The woman was paid $800 per month to serve as a live-in caregiver who
would administer medications, cook and clean, Pickell said.

"She said she was overwhelmed and glad to see
investigators arrive," Pickell said of the caregiver.

Pickell said investigators learned that Tahtinen was
possibly operating three other similar facilities, including one at a home on Dye Road near Corunna Road in Flint Township. Five residents ranging in age from 47 to 73 were
removed from the facility.

Investigators also removed four residents ranging in age from 67 to 79 from
a home on Vienna Road near Saginaw Road in Thetford Township that was allegedly
operated by Tahtinen.

Pickell said the inside of the home smelled of urine and
was being kept at 85 degrees at the time of the August investigation because Tahtinen allegedly told the facility's
caretaker not to use the air conditioner in order to save money.

The sheriff added that residents at that facility were
receiving medical services from Mobile Doctors, a Chicago-based company that manages
doctors who make house calls.

The company was the target of a federal
investigation over allegations of health care fraud. Company officials were
arrested and charged by federal prosecutors in August. The cases are still ongoing.

Six residents ranging in age from 62 to 84 were also removed from a
facility on Seymour Road near Farrand Road in Montrose Township.

Pickell said workers at the facilities told investigators
that they were instructed by Tahtinen to not let state workers into the homes.

"The problem here is you have elderly people, many of
them have guardians, but they don't understand not all adult foster care homes
are created equal," Pickell said.

State records do not show any licenses filed for the
facilities examined by investigators. Pickell said his Elder Abuse Taskforce
and the Department of Human Services can verify licenses for people interested
in using an adult foster care facility.

DHS officials could not be reached for comment.

Tahtinen was released
on a personal recognizance bond. A preliminary exam is scheduled for Jan. 21.
If convicted she could face up to two years in jail on each count.